Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 4 — Narrative / commentaryPeer-reviewed

Waste-to-chemicals: Green solutions for bioeconomy markets

Kirti Bhushan Mishra, Samarjeet Singh Siwal, S. Chandra Nayaka, Zhongwei Guan, Vijay Kumar Thakur

The Science of The Total Environment · 2023

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Summary

This narrative review examines the conversion of municipal solid waste, agricultural residues, food waste, and industrial by-products into valuable green chemicals and biofertilisers through circular bioeconomy approaches. The authors synthesise emerging valorisation technologies—including microwave extraction, enzyme immobilisation, bioreactor systems, and vermicomposting—and discuss their applications for energy production, biofertiliser synthesis, and textile industry use. The paper positions sustainable waste valorisation as a circular economy solution that simultaneously addresses ecosystem degradation whilst creating bioeconomic market value.

UK applicability

The review's emphasis on municipal solid waste and agricultural residue valorisation is relevant to UK waste management policy and circular economy ambitions. UK-specific applicability would depend on technology adoption barriers, regulatory frameworks for biofertiliser products, and comparative economics against incumbent waste disposal routes.

Key measures

Technologies reviewed include microwave-based extraction, enzyme immobilisation-based removal, bioreactor-based removal, and vermicomposting; applications assessed across energy, biofertiliser, and textile sectors; bioeconomic market value potential

Outcomes reported

The review synthesises technologies and approaches for converting diverse waste streams (municipal solid waste, agricultural residues, food waste, industrial by-products) into valuable green chemicals and biofertilisers. It examines applications across energy production, biofertiliser synthesis, and textile industries within circular bioeconomy frameworks.

Theme
Farming systems, soils & land use
Subject
Soil fertility & nutrient management
Study type
Narrative Review
Study design
Narrative review
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Global
System type
Food supply chain
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164006
Catalogue ID
SNmov0gcc4-x5podp

Topic tags

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